Dream of the Red Chamber: Starting with a Chronicle of Tragic Love

Die'er helped the drunken "Young Master Qin" up the fourth floor of Huai Shang Yun Lou step by step.

The staircase was deep and secluded, and the sounds of string and wind instruments gradually faded into the distance.

The air was filled with a faint scent of cosmetics.

Qin Keqing's heart pounded like a drum, partly from the alcohol and partly from nervousness.

Ultimately, this was his first time meeting Jiao Si's woman, especially given her rather sensitive background.

Nobody knows how this meeting will end...

She tried to keep her pace steady so that Die'er wouldn't notice anything unusual.

Finally, they stopped in front of a carved wooden door.

The butterfly gently knocked on the door.

"Sister Liu, the person has been brought."

"Come in."

A languid and alluring voice came from inside.

It was Liu Rushi.

Die'er pushed open the door, stepped aside to let Qin Keqing in, but did not follow. Instead, she stepped outside and gently closed the door.

The interior is softly lit and elegantly furnished.

It doesn't resemble a brothel; it's more like the boudoir of a refined young lady.

A soft couch, a zither table, and a bookcase.

A pot of orchids sits by the window, gently releasing its fragrance.

A woman in green was leaning against a soft couch.

It was Liu Rushi.

Today she wore only a simple, homely green dress, her hair loosely tied up, and she wore minimal makeup, yet her stunning beauty was still undeniable.

Her features were exquisite, and her eyes, as they moved, possessed both a captivating charm that came with experience and a cool, aloof air.

Two completely different temperaments blend perfectly in her.

Qin Keqing stood at the door, momentarily stunned.

Having lived a secluded life for a long time, Qin Ye only taught her the virtues of "humility and restraint," unintentionally instilling in Qin Keqing a degree of inferiority complex.

Even though Qin Keqing was praised for her beauty and graceful figure from a young age, she only heard about it from others and never experienced it herself.

But now that I've seen Liu Rushi...

Only then did she truly understand what it meant to be "the foremost of the Eight Beauties of Qinhuai".

Liu Rushi's beauty is a radiance that has been refined and tempered by the trials of life.

Beautiful, but not gaudy.

He is charming, but not frivolous.

Like a peony blooming on the edge of a cliff, it is both breathtaking and carries a proud and aloof air.

No wonder there were rumors of Brother Jiao and this Lady Liu "placing their love in public";

No wonder that even after he became a slave in the Ningguo Mansion, the Liu family still treated him with utmost respect and never received any other guests.

Qin Keqing took a deep breath, suppressing the inexplicable jealousy and inferiority complex in her heart.

She straightened her back, trying her best to maintain the demeanor of a wealthy young master, and bowed slightly to Liu Rushi.

She deliberately adopted a flirtatious manner, but her words couldn't hide the hint of lewdness.

"I have long admired the name of Lady Liu, and seeing her today, I can confirm that her reputation is well-deserved."

"Just looking at Lady Liu's appearance and temperament, I am already somewhat intoxicated."

She paused, her gaze lingering deliberately on Liu Rushi, before uttering the words she had decided to use to test the waters.

"But I wonder... if Lady Liu can set aside her troubles and, together with me, Qin Mo... create a beautiful story?"

She was certain in her heart.

Given Liu Ru's deep affection for Jiao Si, she would definitely refuse him sternly upon hearing this, and might even become angry.

Then she can take the opportunity to reveal her identity and explain her purpose.

To everyone's surprise, Liu Rushi not only did not get angry upon hearing this, but instead chuckled softly.

Those eyes, as clear as autumn water, curved upwards, filled with a mischievous glint.

She sat up straight, her eyes blinking rapidly.

"Okay~"

"Young Master Qin is so handsome, and so enamored with you..."

"Then let's become a pair of happy lovers atop this cloud-covered tower today, shall we?"

"...?!"

Qin Keqing was completely stunned.

His eyes were wide open, his mouth was slightly agape, and even the folding fan in his hand slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground.

This...this isn't right!

That's not how the script was written!

Liu Rushi... Shouldn't she immediately turn on him, rebuke herself for being delusional, and then remain chaste for Jiao Si's sake, firmly refusing his advances?

Why did she agree?

And what's with this talk of "happy mandarin ducks"?

Qin Keqing's mind went blank, and the unexpected answer had startled her sober.

She stared blankly at Liu Rushi, unsure of what to say next.

The smile in Liu Rushi's eyes deepened.

She rose gracefully, her green dress swaying, and walked step by step toward Qin Keqing.

"What? Young Master Qin just said he admires Ru Shi and wants to make a beautiful relationship with her..."

"Why are you... spacing out now?"

She walked up to Qin Keqing, tilted her head slightly, and looked at her.

They are very close.

Qin Keqing was so close that she could smell the faint, elegant, cool fragrance emanating from her.

"Could it be..." Liu Rushi drawled, her eyes almost overflowing with mischief, "Young Master Qin... is just saying it, but actually... doesn't dare?"

Qin Keqing was forced to take a half step back, her face flushing red instantly.

"I...I..."

She stammered, her mind racing, trying to come up with an excuse.

"You flatter me, Lady Liu!"

"Of course I dare!"

"But..." she said quickly, her mind racing, "But didn't Lady Liu and that Hero Jiao have a prior pact, and pledged their love in public?"

"Although I admire Lady Liu, I am unwilling to do something like stealing someone else's love!"

She spoke with righteous indignation, as if she were truly a "Prince Qin" who adhered to the principles of a gentleman.

The mischievous glint in Liu Rushi's eyes intensified.

She deliberately feigned a sorrowful expression and sighed softly.

"What's the big deal?"

"Master Jiao... is now a slave in the Ningguo Mansion, his fate is not his own, and he is rarely seen even a few times a day..."

She raised her hand, half-covering her face with her sleeve, her tone resentful.

"Does this mean... I must live a life of widowhood?"

"Now that Young Master Qin is so dashing and charming, and so infatuated with Ru Shi..."

She lowered her sleeves, her charming smile returning to her face, her eyes fixed intently on Qin Keqing.

"Even if I submit to Young Master Qin, what difference does it make?"

As she spoke, she actually reached out and pretended to unfasten the jade buckle on Qin Keqing's belt!

"It's getting late, Young Master Qin, we should rest now."

Qin Keqing was so frightened that her soul almost left her body!

She let out a soft "Ah!" and jumped back a large step, clutching her belt tightly with both hands.

His face turned bright red, even the tips of his ears were red.

"No...don't come any closer!"

Liu Rushi, however, refused to let her go, smiling slightly as she pressed closer step by step.

"Young master, please don't go!"

"Didn't you just say you liked it?"

"Why are you running?"

As she spoke, she reached out to grab Qin Keqing's sleeve.

Qin Keqing was both ashamed and anxious, and she retreated repeatedly, dodging around the zither table and bookshelves in the room.

At this moment, she could no longer maintain her former air of a wealthy young master. Instead, she resembled a little chick being targeted by a fox, running in circles on the fourth floor of Huai Shang Yun Lou.

Liu Rushi wasn't in a hurry, so she leisurely followed behind her, hands on her hips, constantly making flirtatious remarks.

"Young master~ come here~"

"Let Ru Shi take good care of you~"

"Young master, are you perhaps... visiting a place like this for the first time?"